Hello Everyone!!
So I'm new here and figured I'd share some pics of our own backyard paradise. It's really got "almost" everything you could ask for.......
A solar heated pool
Large deck w/an automatic retractable awning
Several outdoor seating areas
Fire pit
BBQ
Outdoor movie theater
A spot and a dedicated electrical hookup for a hot tub on the one side of the deck (but no hot tub as of yet...lol)
Etc......
As you can see/imagine, we LOVE our yard and everyone enjoys it throughout the year. Even the dog. LOL
Anyway, with all of these wonderful things, I have to say there are a few things that bug us/we'd like to improve upon. One being the lighting!!! As you can see in a few of the pics, the only real lighting the backyard are those 4 lights that stick out of the ground. For one, I hate that they stick up and two, they're really not that bright at all so it's kinda hard seeing where you're walking once it really gets dark. Especially if the pool light is out.
The second thing that has really bugged me, especially this past Summer, is the river rock around the yard. This coming Summer will be our third Summer here and the first year those rocks stayed super clean. Not much debris in them at all. However, this last Summer it was nuts trying to keep them free of debris. And this year the weeds also ran rampant and we couldn't get rid of them no matter what we tried. I even did that home remedy with the vinegar, salt, and dish detergent. Nope. More weeds came. Maybe not the same ones/same spots but weeds nonetheless.
I'm really debating on whether or not we should ditch those rocks (although everyone says to keep them because it's the best kind of landscaping around a pool) for something else or is there a surefire way of keeping them cleaned up? I mean, the previous owners must have known the secret to doing so because when we bought the place there wasn't so much as a stick in the rocks. And I cannot see digging them out and sifting them or anything crazy like that. That would take forever.
Anyway, I guess I'm really just looking for some feedback and ideas on future lighting and possibly a change in landscaping or at least a better way of taking care of the rocks. For now we've just been using an electric leaf blower/vacuum but that doesn't seem to really work. Maybe we need a gas powered one? I don't know.
Oh and, what do you think about the idea of possibly putting a pergola at either the deep end of the poor or the end by the stairs? Or would that be just too much in the yard? If we did get one I think we'd need to lay down some large pavers over the rock so that it would sit even with the cement around the pool. That or maybe build a little "stage" of sorts for it to sit on that could go right on top/over the rocks and cement. But this whole idea I'm still iffy on.
But yeah, would love to hear your thoughts.
And if anyone is thinking about us turning that shed into a bar, yeah, that's a long term plan/goal of ours too. LOL
MORE PICS COMING. 11 TOTAL
So I'm new here and figured I'd share some pics of our own backyard paradise. It's really got "almost" everything you could ask for.......
A solar heated pool
Large deck w/an automatic retractable awning
Several outdoor seating areas
Fire pit
BBQ
Outdoor movie theater
A spot and a dedicated electrical hookup for a hot tub on the one side of the deck (but no hot tub as of yet...lol)
Etc......
As you can see/imagine, we LOVE our yard and everyone enjoys it throughout the year. Even the dog. LOL
Anyway, with all of these wonderful things, I have to say there are a few things that bug us/we'd like to improve upon. One being the lighting!!! As you can see in a few of the pics, the only real lighting the backyard are those 4 lights that stick out of the ground. For one, I hate that they stick up and two, they're really not that bright at all so it's kinda hard seeing where you're walking once it really gets dark. Especially if the pool light is out.
The second thing that has really bugged me, especially this past Summer, is the river rock around the yard. This coming Summer will be our third Summer here and the first year those rocks stayed super clean. Not much debris in them at all. However, this last Summer it was nuts trying to keep them free of debris. And this year the weeds also ran rampant and we couldn't get rid of them no matter what we tried. I even did that home remedy with the vinegar, salt, and dish detergent. Nope. More weeds came. Maybe not the same ones/same spots but weeds nonetheless.
I'm really debating on whether or not we should ditch those rocks (although everyone says to keep them because it's the best kind of landscaping around a pool) for something else or is there a surefire way of keeping them cleaned up? I mean, the previous owners must have known the secret to doing so because when we bought the place there wasn't so much as a stick in the rocks. And I cannot see digging them out and sifting them or anything crazy like that. That would take forever.
Anyway, I guess I'm really just looking for some feedback and ideas on future lighting and possibly a change in landscaping or at least a better way of taking care of the rocks. For now we've just been using an electric leaf blower/vacuum but that doesn't seem to really work. Maybe we need a gas powered one? I don't know.
Oh and, what do you think about the idea of possibly putting a pergola at either the deep end of the poor or the end by the stairs? Or would that be just too much in the yard? If we did get one I think we'd need to lay down some large pavers over the rock so that it would sit even with the cement around the pool. That or maybe build a little "stage" of sorts for it to sit on that could go right on top/over the rocks and cement. But this whole idea I'm still iffy on.
But yeah, would love to hear your thoughts.
And if anyone is thinking about us turning that shed into a bar, yeah, that's a long term plan/goal of ours too. LOL
MORE PICS COMING. 11 TOTAL